


age of aggression

by inblooms



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Dragons, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology - Freeform, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21757780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inblooms/pseuds/inblooms
Summary: a seemingly ordinary farmer boy, finn, is unaware of the destiny that awaits him or the importance he holds in the fate of the city he lives in; only realizing after coincidental encounters with the prince turn into something far more momentous and intentional.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	age of aggression

**Author's Note:**

> this story has really been through a lot i don't even know what to say anymore just ; enjoy it pLEase

the smooth crashing of the sea against the shore was something the salient people of thebia woke up to quite often. bathing in silky and luxurious sheets, they awoke and opened decorative shutters; breathing in the salty ocean air and hearing the birds sing their morning lullabies.   
  
each morning the most important people in the kingdom were summoned to partake in a lavish breakfast in the main hall; sweet figs, toasted bread, and the hearty cheese of goats was served along with the nectar of new spring flowers or wine freshly pressed by commoners the night before.   
  
for the less important people of the kingdom, waking up was quite different. some awoke in hard beds with thin blankets, some with softer beds and thicker blankets. their rooms were small and simple, nothing like the others in the large castle adjacent to them, who were surrounded in golds, silvers, and the finest silk they could get their hands on.   
  
usually they did not hear the crashing of the excited ocean, their cramped houses had very small windows likely covered in dust and dying bugs. instead, they often heard the desperate wailing of the animals that would be taken soon after their screams were heard to feed hungry mouths for lunch.   
  
following the king’s many plates of arranged tarts, the prince, triumphant heroes, and their faithful companions were each served, and lastly the rest of the people within the village were brought their breakfast.   
  
it wasn’t nearly as luxurious; in place of the tart figs they ate grapes that squished in their mouths and the syrupy nectar gifted to the king by the gods was replaced with day old sheep’s milk.   
  
soon after, most would report to their regular duties, taking on the challenges of the day as usual while the royalty and their comrades would lounge around and do nothing, supposedly.   
  
finn was a feeble and humble farmer boy who lived with his mother in a cramped room and wished for nothing more. he had never known anything other than a simple life and he was quite alright with that, periodically being jealous of the royalty’s effortless and undying beauty.   
  
prince dameron, the heir he thought of most, was like a dream; each step he took through the many realms of the bustling city was strong yet graceful, he had the blood of a god running through his veins, after all.   
  
his mother was a demigod, the offspring of the renowned and complex god, apollo, and the mortal village girl he wrongfully fell in love with years and years ago. she did not reside on earth, someone of her importance did not have to, instead living amongst the gods in olympus where her father claimed she belonged.   
  
the king was a hero, he’d fought in wars and was revered by gods and humans alike, earning the respect of both after his strength and skill were showcased in important battles across the world.   
  
the prince’s parents met when his mother briefly lived on earth and it was more acceptable for a half blood to fall in love with a mortal than a full god, especially someone whose accomplishments had gained them the respect of the unwilling deities.   
  
so prince dameron was the son of the daughter of the god of sun and song, and it was not hard to tell. he had skin that was tan as beautifully creamed coffee, glistening like gems beneath the light of the golden sun. his hair was black as the feathers of a raven, curled like the melodic swoon of music and soft and curving through satisfied eardrums.   
  
he was skilled in many areas of life, warfare and music and medicine and other things finn could never dream of learning, princes like him were able to be taught by the finest of mentors from a young age.   
  
finn had watched him grow from afar, his bones had stretched unbroken skin and his face had been sculpted sharp with godlike manliness, some soft features remaining to contrast the newfound maturity of his face and body.   
  
though they were around the same age, as a mortal finn was still small and developing and his face was not nearly as manly, he liked to pretend he found traces of growing hair above his upper lip although there was nothing to be found.   
  
and so he woke up each morning not to be soothed by the sounds of the sea as others did, but still more than grateful that he could see snippets of the blooming flowers and the busy bees through the glass of his lonely room’s small window.   
  
  
spring was a time in thebia which was admired greatly by all who witnessed it; the flowers blooming throughout the city was truly something magical and quite special to some people, finn was rather fond of the blossoming beauties.   
  
in fact, he was besotted with all kinds of plentiful flowers and the healing properties behind them, though his knowledge was limited. the boy even had a soft spot for dandelions; the pesky weeds had stolen his heart as a younger child when he spent the summers blowing the seeds across the greens of the free fields of the city.   
  
the current spring was just as pleasant and delightful as the ones before, the place was flooded with blossoming trees and golden sun rays that brought viridescence to the starved earth.   
  
finn had awoken each morning prepared for the day’s work, ready to accomplish whatever he had to do that day and rather happy to complete his daily tasks.   
  
this day was like no other though, it was a special one for the thebian people; the infamous first day of the spring festival season where the strength and knowledge of chosen subjects of the city were tested in a series of games and fights in the sandy arena of the city.   
  
although it was a rather boring day for him, finn was still prepared for it, awake early and ready for his duties. he was lucky enough to be one of the boys that delivered the weapons and armor to the fighters during the strength portion of the challenges.   
  
breakfast in the dining hall was noisy that morning, the people were buzzing with excitement and chirping about like small hummingbirds in the wooden chairs of the open room. finn made sure he ate the entire meal as he would likely be skipping lunch to handle a mess of weapons or something similar to that.   
  
the awaited events came soon after breakfast, announced loudly by one of the well known men of the kingdom as the people, some who had traveled far for the event crowded in the arena and cheered uproariously. it was more than easy for wandering eyes to get lost in the kaleidoscope of people that all looked and sounded similar to one another.   
  
finn believed the first day of the nearly week long festival was quite overrated and he was rather disinterested, he sat on the hard and sand covered earth under the large tent soon to be full of sweaty and competitive men and boys being exceptionally loud and impatient and tossed a ragged ball back and forth against the cloth of his surroundings, barely having it bounce back because of the soft fabric.   
  
a rather loud and lengthy announcement made by the king along with boisterous drumming noises made finn aware that the events had begun, he peeked through the opening in the curtains of the tent and watched as the boys lined up to complete the first challenge of the day, archery.    
  
finn watched as the leading boy took his place far from the target and shot his first flimsy arrow into the display made of wood, just barely making it onto the last ring. the crowd booed and finn rolled his eyes, feeling poorly for the boy who had just embarrassed himself in front of most of the kingdom.    
  
the contender’s cheeks had quite obviously blushed a shameful red and he tried a second time, this time landing closer to the middle. the boy looked as though he was holding his breath for the entirety of his shots. they each got three tries to get as many points as they could.    
  
even from afar, the prince looked just as uninterested as finn felt, his posture in his royal chair rather careless and and bored, as if he were sitting in the comfort of his own home and not in front of the entire kingdom. his  crepuscular curls were in his eyes and he held his head up with his hand, his eyes were fluttering slowly and finn couldn’t tell if he was drifting into slumber or if that was simply how he looked.    
  
the sudden roaring of the crowd broke the boy’s gaze and he turned to see that a second competitor had shot his arrow significantly close to the middle of the wooden target, earning cheers from the crowd and the king himself. finn sat back, somewhat glad he would never be in that sandy arena participating in the nerve wracking events that could make or break someone’s worth.    
  
day one’s challenges seemed to last for hours and finn was lucky enough to be able to take refreshments from one of the servants working in the tent beside him, a kind maiden with brown hair and a warm face.    
  
he had said nothing while helping the contenders put their armor on in between challenges, embarrassed by the rough way they talked to one another about the golden ribbons they had either won or lost.    
  
“i’ll bet the prince himself couldn’t have done any better than i at the discus throw.” one boy boasted, finn guessed he had won or he wouldn’t have been foolishly bragging as if he invented the game itself.    
  
“the prince himself could toss a feather farther than you threw that discus.” another boy said, earning laughs from the others.    
  
they talked of the prince as if he were just another commoner boy who meant nothing to the world and they would’ve been punished had anyone of importance heard their ill-advised words.    
  
finn remembered how privileged people of higher classes than him were, not thinking about anything they did or said because they weren’t required to.    
  
“is that so?” a melodious voice erupted from the front of the tent and finn peeked from behind the boy whose armor he was fastening. prince dameron was leaning against a wooden pole used to help keep the large tent up, tossing the ball finn left on the ground up and down and catching it without even looking.   
  
“prince dameron!” the tall boy in question stammered, bowing slightly. “all but a joke of course, i’m sure you’re the discus champi-“   
  
“i’m quite excellent at discus throwing.” the prince confirmed, almost seeming bored with the conversation. “you,” he started, looking at finn’s curious and big eyes. “assist me with this?” he spoke, not fully a question but softer than an order. the curly haired boy was holding metal armor and finn was to help him put it on, he assumed he would be joining the day’s last challenge.   
  
royalty never played in festival games, it wasn’t forbidden, it was just pointless as they trained and learned skills from the greatest teachers that were able to be found, it was quite obvious that they would be able to easily win every single challenge.   
  
finn quickly put the scattered pieces of armor on the prince, it was the closest he had ever been to him and he smelled of blooming flowers and sandalwood. finn was lost as to how, but he swore he could feel the the light of the sun when his fingertips grazed the taller one’s shoulders.    
  
when he was finished, finn gave him a heavy shield that he could barely even lift to complete the set and the prince smiled, turning his head to the other boys and winking before he exited the preparation tent and entered the arena.    
  
without his helmet, the entire crowd saw that the honored prince of thebia had entered the dirt covered ground and confused yet excited cheers blasted throughout the whole place, ringing in finn’s ears like an obnoxious church bell.   
  
“we’re in for it now.” one of the boys mumbled in a rather annoyed tone, shoving the one who had started the encounter with the prince and leaving the tent after. the boys shuffled out after one another and finn couldn’t stop his laughter as he watched them go.   
  
he took his place back on the ground, paying full attention to the events now, still somewhat entranced by how beautifully black the prince’s hair was when he wasn’t looking at it from several yards away.   
  
everyone in the audience knew the inevitable fate of the other boys, they were participating in the infamous race in armor and speed was surely one of prince dameron’s stronger areas; the whole of the kingdom seemed to know that.    
  
finn was watching intently as they stood behind a red line on the ground, they had to run five laps around the entire arena and whoever did it the quickest while clanking around in the heavy armor was obviously the winner.   
  
after they had all place their helmets on, another sudden drumroll went off and by the end of it, the boys were running as fast as they could to complete the first lap of the race.    
  
the thebian prince was faster than anyone finn had ever seen, long legs taking him farther than the other boys in an instant. the cheers of the crowd were exciting and for once, finn was actually interested in the rather repetitive games.   
  
he had miraculously completed his first lap around the lengthy arena before most of the other boys had even ran half of one. the audience watched and buzzed with pure excitement, it was the loudest they’d been throughout the entire day.    
  
finn laughed to himself as he, along with everyone else, knew the prince was going to win the challenge and it was silly that the other boys even went out there and tried, although they didn’t exactly have a choice. the rest of the contenders were panting, spluttering messes as they tried their best to catch up to the demigod and failed miserably.   
  
four laps passed and he was ahead, to the point where some of the boys had given up, jogging in their clanking armor instead of running at full speed.    
  
when the prince inevitably finished his fifth lap, the crowd roared with applause, chanting his name loudly as he dropped his shield and helmet onto the dirt. finn knew he would be the one to pick the items up later.    
  
the king wasn’t very pleased, he seemed to think it unjust for his son to show off what he was capable of, at least at his young age. additionally, if royalty were to ever lose to people of less importance in front of the entire city, it would be talked of for years to come. the boy smiled wide, clearly beyond satisfied with his quite spiteful and rather meaningless achievement.   
  
when the prince was inside of the tent again finn stood up, ready to take the armor from him. he had barely even broken a sweat running the five laps and he still smelled of flowers.   
  
“you again,” he spoke to finn, tearing the useless armor off of his body and placing it on the ground. “would you be _kind enough_ to carry this mess to my bedchamber?” he said, his voice resonating in finn’s chest like a familiar song.    
  
“of course, your highness.” finn replied quietly, addressing him as what he was, though it sounded quite odd to both of their ears.    
  
“although, i’ve never been to the royal areas of the kingdom and i don’t think i’ll know the way.” the small boy continued, picking the plated armor off of the sand covered ground. the maidens that had spent most of the day in the tent with finn were standing in awe, eyes widened at the sight of the beloved prince standing before them.   
  
“very well, just follow close behind me. i am far too careless to wield that ridiculously overweight shield a second time.” he said, stretching his arms out after he had gotten the armor off of them.    
  
after retrieving the helmet and the shield - which he could once again, barely carry by himself - from the arena, finn did exactly what the boy had asked of him and followed his steps into the castle.    
  
the journey to the prince’s chambers was a long one, finn holding the weight of the armor as best as he could as he followed the taller boy up plenty of sets of stairs. he had never been as deep into the castle, never seen the red and golden decor plastered across the castle walls or the guards standing overly still by important entryways.   
  
finn stayed silent until they got to the bedroom, arms more than weak from the weight of the metal and glad to finally be finished carrying it.   
  
“where would you like me to-”   
  
“there, by the door is fine.” prince dameron interjected, collapsing on his bed which was bigger than any finn had seen before. he almost forgot to take in the fact that he was in the prince’s bedroom, a room full of fine gold and silver.    
  
a beautiful lyre was leaning against a tall wooden dresser, atop of which were perfumes and trinkets and jewelry, all delicate and beautiful gifts that seemed to fit the boy they belonged to.    
  
after placing the armor on the floor next to the wide entrance, finn had to stop again to look at the pretty room he knew he would never have the honor of entering again. even the rug in which finn was standing on was luxurious and ridiculously clean, likely skinned from an animal by the prince himself, if he partook in that sort of thing.    
  
there were small things that reminded finn of who prince dameron was; a demigod of light, things like the delicately made music box near his bed, or the model of the sun sitting on his windowsill.   
  
“people don’t come in here, you know.” the royal said, noticing the younger boy’s fascination with his bedroom. finn looked back to the boy, he had a slight smile on his face as he talked.   
  
“why is that?” he wondered aloud, not knowing if he would be in trouble for entering the chambers as if they were friends.    
  
“i don’t want them to.” the taller one stated. “what’s your name, farmer boy?”    
  
finn barely had time to think about what he said, tripping over his own words and thoughts in his head.    
  
“my name is finn.” he managed to get out, just as quiet as usual, his curious eyes meeting the prince’s significantly darker ones.

  
the prince still had a smile on his face, he was then looking down at a spot on his arm that looked to be a forming bruise.    
  
“would you like my help- uh, did you get hurt? i should return to my duties.” finn prattled on, unsure of whether he should be leaving or staying.   
  
“of course i didn’t, farmer boy. yes, you may return to your previous affairs.” the older one granted him, looking up from his arm and back at finn with the same smile he’d had throughout the entire encounter.    
  
“thank you, your highness.” finn said, bowing slightly as he started to turn for the door.    
  
“you shall call me poe. i’m sure we’ll be seeing one another again soon.” the prince spoke again, words stirring in finn’s head like a hundred bees.   
  
he turned and exited the bedroom, hoping he wouldn’t lose his way as he slinked down the many stairs of the castle, soft sandals barely making noise against the polished marble.    
  
finn’s head was flooded with thought after thought as he made his way out of the castle. the sun was low in the sky but beating down at the ground when he entered the arena, still needing to take care of the rest of the armor the lazy contenders had left in the tent somewhere.    
  
the people of the audience were in the arena then, talking amongst themselves before they would inevitably return to their rooms to finish the rest of the day.    
  
finn quickly snaked his way around strangers, entering the tent the girls were still working in and seeing the armor on the ground.    
  
it was then that finn remembered clearly, the armor he had returned to the prince’s chambers was not even owned by him - he had found it in the tent when he asked finn to fasten it.    
  
his mind was reeling even more as he took the armor back to their _rightful_ places, one set was _clearly_ missing as it was in the older boy’s bedroom instead.    
  
he could not stop the smile that grew on his face at the thought of the odd encounter, he knew not of what the older boy meant when he said that they would see one another again but he supposed that he would eventually find out one way or another.    
  
he managed to brush it off for the remainder of the day and return home to his kind mother, relaying the boring order of events to her and hoping he’d never have to spend that much time around the contenders again.    
  
yet when nyx painted a dark sky over the blue of the evening and left trails of stars to shine through the tiny window of finn’s room, he only thought of what the second, more calming day of the thebian spring festival would bring to him and if it would be as interesting as the first.


End file.
